Mark Durkan

Mark Durkan (26 June 1960-) was Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 6 November 2001 to 14 October 2002 with David Trimble, succeeding Seamus Mallon and preceding Martin McGuinness. Durkan was a member of the Social Democratic and Labor Party.

Biography
Mark Durkan was born in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland on 26 June 1960, the son of a Royal Ulster Constabulary district inspector. He studied politics at the Queen's University of Belfast, and he became involved in politics in 1981 as a Social Democratic and Labor Party member. From 1990 to 1995, he was Chairman of the SDLP, and he helped the party with the peace process that led up to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. From 2001 to 2002, he served as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland with David Trimble, and he led the SDLP from 2001 to 2010. Durkan stepped down as SDLP leader in 2009, focusing on his parliamentary career.